Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Half-heard phone conversations reduce cognitive performance
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study finds that overheard cell phone conversations are distracting because we can't predict what will be said next.
A synthetic creation story
Claims of 'synthetic life' reflect only our changing conception of what life is and how it might be made, says Philip Ball.
Meaner than fiction: Reality TV high on aggression, study shows
All the gossip, insults and dirty looks add up fast on popular reality shows, far outpacing the level seen in equally popular dramas, comedies and soap operas according to a...
Scientists need to be more proactive, effective at public communication
Scientists are a valuable and trusted source of information, researchers say in a recent report, but too often do an inadequate job of bringing that information to those who need...
Tai Chi gets cautious thumbs up for psychological health
Tai Chi, a low impact martial art, has been associated with reduced stress, anxiety and depression, and enhanced mood, in both healthy people and those with chronic conditions. A systematic...
Another Foxconn worker dies in China; 9th in 2010
(AP) -- A worker at Foxconn Technology Group, which makes iPhones and iPads, jumped to his death Friday from a building in the southern Chinese boomtown of Shenzhen -...
Child smoking on rise in Indonesia
In an extreme example of a disturbing trend in Indonesia, Ardi Rizal, 2, throws a tantrum when his parents refuse him a cigarette. His father gave him the first at...
Children of divorced parents face economic barriers, study finds
(PhysOrg.com) -- Family structure affects a child's economic mobility prospects, according to a new study co-authored by professor Thomas DeLeire of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's La Follette School of Public...
Glendale police officer files lawsuit claiming on-the-job-discrimination
A black Glendale police officer this week filed a lawsuit claiming on-the-job discrimination, making it the second time in less than a month that a Glendale police officer has filed...
Rebalancing Investments Can Turn Losers Into Winners, CU Prof Says
(PhysOrg.com) -- When it comes to investing money in the stock market, actively rebalancing your portfolio is so critical that it can help turn individual investment losers into winners, according...
The Haycast 2010: find out whom we'll be speaking to, and how to submit your questions
Our daily Haycasts - podcasts from the festival site - were the highlight of our coverage of last year's Guardian Hay festival. This year, we're heading back to Wales to bring you...
Craig Venter: A life in pictures
The future career of Craig Venter could hardly have been predicted from the reluctant student and Vietnam serviceman of his early years
Investigating the Buddhist mindset | Ed Halliwell
Does the Dalai Lama's support for a 'centre for investigating healthy minds' compromise its scientific respectability?At a time when the relationship between science and spirit seems characterised by mutual suspicion, common ground for...
Freshly recruited MDs leaving Saskatchewan
The community of Wakaw, Sask., is reeling after learning two recently recruited doctors, a relative prize for rural towns, are abruptly leaving.
How laptops can enhance learning in college classrooms
Despite the distraction potential of laptops in college classrooms, new research shows that they can actually increase students' engagement, attentiveness, participation and learning.
Books in home as important as parents' education in determining children's education level
Whether rich or poor, residents of the United States or China, illiterate or college graduates, parents who have books in the home increase the level of education their children will...
Discrimination high against Latinos, poll finds
The immigration debate has raised the profile of the problem, advocates say. ...
Brush fire breaks out in Corona
Authorities are asking residents to remain vigilant following the outbreak of a brush fire Thursday afternoon near the Home Gardens neighborhood in Corona.
Researchers Fear 'Incalculable' Loss From Reburial Rule
Leading lights of anthropology have submitted a plea to the Department of the Interior...
Probing Question: Are boys really better at math than girls?
In 1992, Mattel sparked a nationwide debate about math and gender when the company released "Teen Talk Barbie." Among the doll`s 270 phrases were "Math class is tough!" (often misquoted...
What Can We Really Know About Authors' Personalities From Their Works?
Dr. Raymond Mar, of On Fiction: An Online Magazine on the Psychology of Fiction, published a research bulletin the other day summarizing a psychological study whose results apparently suggest that,...
Argentina risks losing hake market amid low yield, overfishing
BUENOS AIRES, May 20 (UPI) -- Argentina risks losing about half its export market for hake because of crisis conditions in the fishing industry caused by overfishing, low yields...
Tanning industry rapped for misleading claims
An American consumer protection agency says claims over the safety and benefits of indoor tanning are false and deceptive and has forced the Indoor Tanning Association to stop making certain...
Congress Hears Testimony on Concussions in Student Athletes
Recent research and media coverage highlighting long-term cognitive and emotional problems in professional athletes...
NIH Wants More (Not Total) Disclosure of Financial Conflicts
The federal government today proposed an overhaul of regulations covering financial conflicts of interest...
Suit returns Pa. 'sexting' district to spotlight
(AP) -- A Pennsylvania school district that was at the center of a highly publicized "sexting" case was sued Thursday by a teenager who claims her principal confiscated her...
What Makes Musical Notes Sound Good (Or Bad)?
Researchers writing in Current Biology say they may have determined what makes musical notes sound good (or bad) by studying the preferences of more than 250 college students from Minnesota...
Autistic Regression, Cognitive Impairment And Severity Of Impairment: Real Numbers
There's a tremendous amount of research literature that does not make it into public consumption. Coupling this lack of trickle down with a voracious need to feel certainty where none...